1. Field
The present invention relates to a method for controlling interface and, more particularly, to a method for controlling input and output of multimedia interface that can transmit device information to other devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
HDMI, DVI and D-Sub are generally used as multimedia interface. For example, the repeater, often referred to as a media relay or other names, connects source devices and output devices through HDMI.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, various types of source devices providing audio or video signals such as a DVD player 300 are connected to the repeater 200 through HDMI input port.
Also, various types of sink devices outputting audio and/or video signals such as digital TV (D-TV) can be connected to the repeater 200 through HDMI output port.
Then, the repeater 200 transmits EDID (Extended Display Identification Data), which is a type of data base structure including data on the sink device (such as audio and video formats that can be output by the sink device) to the source device 300 through CEC (Consumer Electronic Control) line of HDMI, and the source device 300, by referencing the EDID, outputs audio and/or video signal which is optimal to the sink device 100. For example, the EDID information can include information on the native format, or the optimal A/V (Audio/Video) format that can be output from the sink device 100.
If HD level is detected, by referencing the EDID, as the optimal video format that can be displayed on the sink device 100, the source device 300 outputs video in the format of HD level instead of full HD level even though the source device 300 can output video data in the video format up to full HD level.
Recently, repeaters equipped with a HDMI module having a plurality of input and output ports have been commercialized, in which, as illustrated in FIG. 2, various types of source devices (3001-300n) such as a DVD player and BD player can be connected to the repeater 200 through input ports of HDMI module, and various types of sink devices (1001-100m) such as a digital TV (D-TV) and high definition digital TV (HD-TV) can be connected to the repeater through output ports of the HDMI module digital TV (D-TV).
For example, in the repeater, as illustrated in FIG. 3, one source device (Source #1) and one sink device (Sink #1) can be connected respectively to a plurality of input ports (e.g., I1-I3) and output ports (e.g., O1-O3) installed on the HDMI module of the repeater, or multiple source devices (e.g., Source #1-#3) and one sink device (Source #1) can be connected.
Also, one source device (Source #1) and multiple sink devices (e.g., Sink #1-#3) can be connected to a plurality of input and output ports installed on the HDMI module of the repeater, or multiple source devices (e.g., Source #1-#3) and sink devices (e.g., Source #1-#3) can be connected. In other words, various combinations of connections are possible depending on the number of the source devices and sink devices connected to the input and output ports.
Although various operation modes are available to the repeater for performing relay operation between the source and sink devices, a method for efficiently controlling each operation mode according to the combination of the devices connected through the input and output ports has not been provided.
The present invention has been designed to solve the above mentioned problems, and aims to prevent compatibility problems in configuring audio/video setting between devices when one or more source devices and sink devices are connected to the repeater.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling operation modes taking consideration of the combination of source and sink devices connected to the repeater.